Returning to Blog and FO: Clapotis Shawl

October 13, 2012| LindyBeir| 0 Comment | 3:39 pm

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I have been away from blogging for about five months. There were a number of reasons for this. First, I just got busy with other things and didn’t seem to be able to find time to sit down and write any posts. And then, my knitting projects just didn’t seem to be getting finished — even though I was knitting. And then, my husband started on our remodeling project — which was/is my office. The remodeling will be worth it when it is done — but when it will be done doesn’t seem to be anytime soon. I now have my computer set up in the spare bedroom and I have retrieved a few skeins of yarn and patterns from the boxes I packed up several weeks ago — so I can knit. But heaven help me if I need to find any of my knitting books or any of my yarn stash! It’s all in boxes and plastic containers, stacked three deep and nearly to the ceiling in the garage. (So any future knitting projects are an excuse to go yarn shopping…) I’ll update you on the remodeling progress — here’s to hoping it’s done by the time I need to decorate for the Christmas holiday.

I do have a finished object! I have finished my Clapotis shawl.

I haven’t blocked it yet. Blocking will have to wait until I have free floor space again (remodeling). Here are the details:

Pattern: Clapotis – free on Knitty.com
Yarn: Jaggerspun Zephyr (50% wool, 50% silk) Colorway: Teal Needles: U.S. 4 (3.5 mm)
Since this is a laceweight yarn, I knit 18 repeats of the straight rows to get the length I wanted.
Unblocked the shawl measures 17 inches wide by 62 inches long. It will be wider and longer after blocking.

It’s a lovely, soft shawl and I am very happy with the way it turned out. I liked the finished shawl so much, I cast-on another using Knit Picks Gloss from my stash. More about this WIP another time.

Progress on Socks for SoldiersProgress on Socks for Soldiers

September 30, 2009| Lindy| 0 Comment| 8:13 am

I am making progress on my first pair of “regulation socks” for Socks for Soldiers. It has been slow going. I had knitted about four inches in 2 x 2 ribbing when I decided that I had an issue with laddering. Usually when you knit on two circulars, you don’t have a problem with ladders developing between the needles – but there they were… I figured out that I was causing the problem by tugging too hard on the yarn when I knit the first two stitches on each needle. The Regia Stretch yarn is really stretchy and because I was pulling the yarn too tightly I had ladders. So, I made a trip to the frog pond and frogged the socks all the way back to the beginning. (Sigh…)

9 inches of sock leg.

Well, I now have 9+ inches of leg done on both socks. The first 8 inches were knit on size US 2 (3.00 mm) circulars, with a stitch gauge of 8 spi. Following the directions of the official pattern, I switched to Size US 1 (2.25 mm) circulars, which have a gauge of 9 spi. The leg continues in ribbing until it measures 12 inches and then you begin the heel. I’ll post an update when I get to the heel.

Back from HiatusBack from Hiatus

May 3, 2013| LindyBeir| 0 Comment| 5:52 pm

It has been nearly 6 months since I last wrote a post. This was due in part to the fact that my office was in the process of being remodeled, as well as the busy holiday seasons (Thanskgiving, Christmas, & New Year’s). I am glad to say that my office is now finished and looks quite lovely — but I am still unpacking things. I have made a promise to myself that when I unpacked the hastily packed boxes, that I would take the time to go through them and eliminate things that I no longer used, need or want. So far I have kept that promise and I am gradually putting the things I have decided to keep in their new homes. I have 4 boxes left to unpack.

One of the most difficult tasks for me as I unpacked was to sort through the many years accumulation of knitting and crochet magazines, patterns and pattern books. I love books. And I have a lot of knitting and crochet books. I am proud to say that I was focused enough to really let go of those that I will never use and those that are really out of date. I gave a few to some of my knitting friends, but in the end — most of the old magazines ended up being recycled. Are you someone who collects books and magazines? If you are — you know how much of a struggle it was for me to finally let them go.

But now — I have plenty of room for NEW BOOKS! 🙂

One of the changes that I have made over my 50 years (yes, 50!) of knitting is that I no longer buy knitting patterns, books of knitting patterns or those knitting magazines that you can find in your local supermarket. As I have written in this blog before, since I first read Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Knitting Without Tears, I have moved from buying patterns to buying books on techniques and stitch libraries. These days when I see something in a magazine that I think I would like to knit — I study it for the details — i.e. the design elements, the stitchery, etc. — and then I sit down and figure out how to knit it up without the pattern — I draft my own essentially. I find I am much happier with the results.

I am doing that now — what I have on my needles is a raglan cardigan sweater, knitted from the top down — size 18 months. I hope when I finish this little sweater that I will be able to develop another sweater calculator for doing top down raglan sweaters. I’ll post it when I am certain that it works correctly.

For those of you who wish to move beyond following written patterns — Elizabeth Zimmerman’s books are a great way to start.

Tubular Cast OnsTubular Cast Ons

June 13, 2021| LindyBeir| 0 Comment| 1:53 pm

There are several versions of tubular cast ons. All tubular cast ons give the appearance of a rolled edge. The basic Tubular Cast On starts with half the number of stitches needed. You cast on with waste yarn followed by 4 rows of stockinette stitch in your main color of yarn. Then you increase by picking up stitches from the first row of the main color knitting. This cast on has an elastic edge and is good for K1P1 ribbing used in socks, gloves, and hats.

The Provisional Tubular Cast On begins with the Provisional Cast On before starting the tubular rows. Starting with the Provisional Cast On eliminates having to pick up stitches. It can be used for both K1P1 and K2P2 ribbing and has a matching bind off (Tubular Bind Off).

The Yarnover Tubular Cast On starts with a Chained Cast On in half the number of stitches needed. Yarnovers are used to add the remaining stitches. This cast on is good for knitting in the round and works for both K1P1 and K2P2 ribbing. Most sources recommended using a smaller size needle to do this cast on and prevent flaring out.

The Italian Tubular Cast On is similar to the Provisional Cast On. It does not require the use of waste yarn. You begin this cast on with a long tail about four times the length of what you are casting on. As with the other tubular cast ons this one works well with K1P1 and K2P2 ribbing and matches the Tubular Bind Off.

Links for videos on these cast ons:

Tubular Cast On

Provisional Tubular Cast On

Yarnover Cast On

Italian Tubular Cast On(flat)

Italian Tubular Cast On (ITR)